Pablo Silva

Pablo Silva is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Marcelo Azevedo, and a former Gracie Barra – Belo Horizonte team representative (now with ZR Team). Pablo is also a top competitor in the Pluma weight division, having reached the top of that division on his second year as a black belt (2010) by winning the World Championship

Pablo Silva Biography

Pablo Silva was born on the 17th of October, 1986 on the city of Mariana, State of Minas Gerais – Brazil. He started training Jiu Jitsu when he was 14 years old. His brother had started training BJJ but didn’t have any light people to roll with at the gym, so Pablo decided to enrol as well to show support for his brother and never stopped training since.

His first coach was a brown belt by the name of Hussen, who was also a black belt in Judo. Hussen’s love lied with the Japanese martial art, and when Pablo reached the purple belt level he realized his coach did not have much more to offer in the technical department, so he decided to move to a different academy. He started training at the Gracie Barra gym in Belo Horizonte, but he could only train 2 times per week as the commute was too long. He would often sleep at the bus station because he could not afford a hotel room. After a while he decided to move definitely to the state capital.

At the Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte he started training under Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo, and with an elite BJJ team, with fighters such as “Caloquinha”, Samuel Braga and many others. He would receive his brown belt and black belt (at the age of 21) by the hands of Azevedo.

In 2009 Pablo Silva was the victim of the unstable diplomatic relationship between Spain and Brazil. As he flew to Spain to compete at the Europeans in Spain’s neighbouring country, Portugal, Pablo was denied entrance into Spanish borders. He returned distraught to his country of origin and had actually given up on the competition, when he was told that he could return and compete if he entered through Portugal, which he did. Even though he had to lose 7kg (14lbs) within little over 24 hours he won the competition, and one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.

The first coach of Pablo Silva is called Gustavo Müller (in that time was purple belt from Leo Castello Branco in Mariana city). Where Pablo training, white belt until his yellow belt, going after it, training with Hussein in Ouro Preto city.